A Biblical Approach to Understanding and Applying that with which God has Called and Gifted You!
What Direction are you going?
The word, Spiritual Gift, comes from the Greek phrase chrismata or sometimes referred to as Charisma, and is defined as, "a gift of grace." This means we, as Christians, are given a “favor” or a “special gift” to do the work of ministry on behalf of, and empowered by, our Lord Jesus Christ. In ancient Greek, it was a phrase that a conquering general, giving a gift to the people he had just conquered as a symbol of their dependence upon the conqueror, would use. We are not conquered in spirit, but our Will as a Christian becomes less as He becomes more. Thus, Gifts are also a reminder of our dependence upon Christ as Lord.
It is each Believer’s responsibility to find, develop, and exercise the Gifts given to him/her!
Some of the Gifts include leadership, teaching, pastoral care, mercy, giving... there are over twenty of them! How we are to behave and interact with one another is governed by the Spirit working through each of us with these Gifts. We must acknowledge our role in the Body; there are no lone wolves in Christ! We have a duty to fulfill, and a role to play. When we refuse to find and use our Gifts, we not only hurt ourselves, but each other and our Lord! The Church is greatly diminished, the work of the Lord given to us is left undone, and opportunities are missed!
Introduction: A Biblical Approach to Understanding and Applying that with which God has Called and Gifted You! This workshop can be used as small group lessons or a church wide training event.
Understanding God’s call to us with Spiritual Gifts Now that I am a Christian, I get presents?
Understanding the Importance of Spiritual Gifts! Spiritual Gifts are alive and well both in the Church and in the world. They are not from a bygone era or only for certain Denominations or individuals; they are for you and your church!
How to Determine your Spiritual Gift(s! This procedure is much more accurate and honest than just using an “inventory.” We have a tendency to read into these “tests” our desires, not those of the Lord’s leading.
Biblical definitions of Spiritual Gifts, as defined by the Bible, presented in no particular order. The definitions and supporting Scriptures do correspond to the characteristics of the Gifts as also expressed in most Evangelical and Reformed thinking.
Remember this important fact; the Prime Directive for Spiritual Gifts is for service to God's family! As you grow in the understanding and use of your Spiritual Gifts, you will realize that you are in a relationship of dependence upon Christ.
How to Mobilize the People in your church according to their Spiritual Gifts. This section is primarily for the Church leadership and the Mentor Groups.
Here is a tool to help the People in your church find out what there Spiritual Gifts are. This is an “inventory” format; it is not as accurate as our other assessment, but this makes a good tool to start out with.
Spiritual Gifts are alive and well in the world; to deny their existence is to deny the work of the Holy Spirit! It is comforting to deny Gifts, because then we do not have to respond to His call and duty. We can be prideful, lazy, and conceited in our outlook toward others instead. Of course, this thinking is straight from another source other than the Bible and God's call (Matthew 28)! Satan does not want you to discover your Gifts; he wants you to ignore your responsibility and nurture of one another!